2013 Jan 9

Shubham Bakshi, first-year student in the College of Medicine at Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) recently presented his research, "A study of extent of awareness of Thalassemia within community from the aspect of disease prevention," at the Indian Academy of Pediatrics Conference in Ahmedabad, India. In 2011, during his coursework at The Ohio State University, Bakshi began researching Thalassemia, a major genetic blood defect. More than 1 million children in India have Thalassemia with 10,000 new cases occurring in India each year, resulting in the Indian population accounting for 10 percent of the Thalassemic population worldwide. Children with Thalassemia have damaged red blood cells, requiring monthly blood transfusions, and most do not live past the age of 20. As part of his research, Bakshi measured awareness levels of Thalassemia among four sectors of the Indian population; college-age students, primary care physicians, teachers and professors, and Thalassemia minors, with a particular interest in the marriageable population. He focused on each sector's awareness of the disease, their understanding of the nature and consequences of the disease, and their knowledge of disease prevention measures. Bakshi presented a poster outlining the results of his research in Ahmedabad, India, on Dec. 22, 2012, receiving positive feedback from practicing physicians in attendance who agreed additional awareness and prevention is needed. Representatives from the American Red Cross and Rotary International also reviewed Bakshi's research results and agreed stronger action is needed in raising awareness of the disease - especially among the marriage age population. They also recognized the need to establish additional programs focusing on community awareness across the country in order to affect the public health policy of the region. Due to his research and experience, Bakshi is considering pursuing a residency relating to pediatrics.